New Delhi, Sep 28: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has brought relief to a child who was illegally detained and brutally tortured by the Haryana police for allegedly committing a petty crime. The Commission took suo-moto cognizance of a report published in national English daily Hindustan Times on April 2, 2011. As per the report, the minor was arrested on 28-03-2011 on charges of stealing of a vehicle belonging to one Sumit Bhardwaj who had reported the loss and against which an FIR was registered with the Gurgaon police.

The arrest was shown on 29-03-2011 while the child’s family members alleged that the Sonu was picked up from his house on 28.03.2011 and illegally detained and tortured by the police.A thorough inquiry conducted by the Commission established the fact that the child was illegally detained, physically abused and tortured in custody by the police. Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000 a child, who is in conflict with law, can only be apprehended and not arrested.

“The Commission in its recommendations to Chief Secretary and the DC, Gurgaon and other concerned Departments had directed the State Govt to lodge FIRs against the erring police officials, pay an interim relief of Rs 25,000 to the child, ensure educational rights of the child to be restored at the earliest among many other”, informed Shri Vinod Kumar Tikoo, Member NCPCR who led the inquiry team which probed into the case.

In a recent directions by DC Gurgaon, the Police Commissioner has been directed to pay the interim relief of Rs 25,000 to the child at the earliest. The Govt has already reported to have lodged FIRs against the erring police officials. The final action taken report taking the case to its logical conclusion is awaited in this regard.“The case is indicative of a larger social malaise. We are happy that the child, who has been a victim of brutal abuse and torture at the hands of the police, is being provided with interim relief as per directions of the Commission. However, the mental agony that the child went through can never be compensated ,’’ he commented.

Incidentally, a study conducted by the Ministry of Woman and Child Development in 2007, covering 12,500 children and 4,800 young adults across 13 states of India, had revealed that boys and girls were equally vulnerable to abuse and that over 53 per cent respondents had faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.The study also mentioned that Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi have almost consistently reported higher rates of abuse in all forms as compared to other states.